2002 EC300 factory ignition setting & effects of changing

[brider]

Just looked at my owner's manual and saw that there is a range of ignition settings I can try by rotating the stator slightly between 2 (advance & retard?) lines on the cases under the stator cover.

I have not ridden this bike more than maybe 10 hrs, but it seems to start easily, idles well, pulls from dead idle and does not detonate...in general, I wouldn't normally be tempted to change the timing.

But in tight, rocky/rooty technical trails it snaps a little too fast with touches of throttle for my liking, so would retarding the timing affect this, but maybe make it also harder to start/idle? Would I need to make carb tweaks as well?

Does rotating the stator perform the same function as the "sun/rain" switch on later models of this same bike?

 

[Hellcat]

Do you have a ec or xc model ? Ec had the large flywheel which usually has a special made washer to lock in the timing . The xc is smaller flywheel setup and I believe these did not have the special washer to lock in timing . The ex you could remove the special washer and adjust timing if wanted I guess . The larger flywheel has more rotating mass so it revs slower and smoother